


For you

by eanard



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M, Reincarnation, kinda merlin au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-02
Updated: 2019-06-02
Packaged: 2020-04-06 16:21:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19066240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eanard/pseuds/eanard
Summary: He meets him again a millenia later.It's him. It's Chanyeol. It's the prince.





	For you

**Author's Note:**

> heavily inspired by bbc's merlin.

He meets him again a millenia later.

It's him. It's Chanyeol. It's the prince.

He's still the same, tall gangly body, huge eyes and ears that stick out of his head like a sore thumb. Kyungsoo feels like crying once he sees him walking down the streets of seoul.

Old memories flash behind his eyes. A story of so very, very long ago. A story of a prince and a servant, of two sides of the same coin, of Kyungsoo failing, of Chanyeol dying, and of waiting, waiting and waiting for the once and future king to be born again.

 

\----

_"Kyungsoo" Chanyeol gasps, eyes almost shut closed, face incredibly pale and hair sticking to his forehead with cold sweat. His armour makes noise as Kyungsoo struggles to drag him towards the lake._

_"Don't-" he replies, voice hoarse, pulling and yanking the prince forward even though he's tired and bruised. They're almost there. He can't die. He can't, he's not supposed to. Chanyeol's his destiny. He can't "Don't fall asleep"_

_They're halfway there when his traitorous legs decide to give up on him and he falls to his knees on the muddy ground with a hiss of pain, the prince falling along with him._

_"Kyungsoo, please" Chanyeol struggles to say. "Please just hold me"_

_He's crying now, tears falling down his cheeks, pathetic and defeated. "You can't die"_

_The prince holds his hand, his grip too weak and his face getting paler and paler "Thank you. For everything." and, almost inaudible. "I love you"._

_Kyungsoo wants to rush to say all the things he never said._ I'm sorry, I'm sorry about deceiving you, I'm sorry i never told you I had magic before, on calmer days, instead of during war. I'm sorry I kept it a secret. I couldn't tell you, I was scared, I was stupid. I love you. You're my destiny. I'm so sorry, please don't go. _But before he can open his mouth Chanyeol's eyelids close and his heart stops beating._

 

\----

Chanyeol doesn't know why, but there's an ache in his chest when the new trainee comes inside the room, a longing he can't quite explain.

The stranger, who weirdly feels familiar, bows and then introduces himself. "My name is Do Kyungsoo. Pleased to make your acquaintance"

They become instant friends. It's really like he's known Kyungsoo forever. The quiet personality of the shorter boy compliments his constant rambling, and the persistent reassurance and encouragement makes him not want to give up on his dreams.

"You were born to be great, Chanyeol" Kyungsoo says one time after a particularly hard dance practice. Chanyeol is half hating himself and half hating the instructor when the other boy walks up to him and gives him a water bottle and a reassuring pat on the back "Don't doubt yourself"

It doesn't immediately fix his mood. But somehow his bones feel less tense and his muscles more relaxed than they were a few seconds ago.

 

\----

"We did it! Kyungsoo, we did it!"

Chanyeol is ecstatic, completely overjoyed and over the moon. They were going to debut. Finally, _finally_ , all his hard work would pay off. All those nights suffering would have served a purpose.

Kyungsoo smiles back at him and returns his hug just as fiercely. Chanyeol can't remember a time he felt happier.

 

\-----

The first year is hard. They're sm's failure. Chanyeol struggles to get out of bed and he knows everybody else feels the same. They've all worked their asses off and flopping wasn't an option. Not when their dreams were on the line.

The only time anyone of them seem to relax is when Kyungsoo fixes them tea.

"It's like magic" Baekhyun purrs as he sips the tea from his seat on the couch, wrapped in blankets and allowing himself a moment of peace "his tea is the best"

Chanyeol agrees. The tea, similar to every time Kyungsoo touches him, makes him feel a little bit more relaxed than before.

They're too occupied drinking from the cups to notice Kyungsoo's flinch when Baekhyun mentions the word magic.

 

\-----

The next year is when everything gets better. They start getting popular, winning shows (awards) and gaining a consistent fan base. Everyone's moods become better, and they delve deeper and deeper into perfecting themselves. Chanyeol prefers working as twelve. Jongdae is hilarious, Yixing and him bond over music and Luhan is more mischievous than his angelic face lets on. It instantly feels like they're his family.

 

\-----

Kyungsoo knew since trainee days. However, it is only truly when Jongdae, Yixing and Luhan are right in front of him, teasing Chanyeol and laughing, that he remembers army general Luhan and the best soldiers of the kingdom, Lay and Chen. They're almost mirror versions of what they once were. Lay has less scars and a body fit to flow like a river instead of lift heavy equipment. Chen is slightly shorter, and instead of his power being strength, it now relies on his voice. Similarly, Luhan has a softer face, one that wasn't toughened up from constant fighting and days training under the sun, and a body that didn't endure physical training from an early age.

He lets himself reminisce on the old days. On the warriors and how happy they made the prince feel. Of hunting trips and how Lay always offered to search for wood, of how chen liked to tell him childhood stories and how Luhan and Chanyeol always found a way to wrestle for any insignificant matter. It's almost funny how they, one way or the other, have the same names as they once had, like they were born again and destined to be involved in the prince's life for a reason.

 

\----

Kyungsoo notices. He tries to help by touching them more frequently. He hugs Tao more often, wraps an arm around Luhan more times than necessary, pats Yifan on the back every time before practice and always holds Yixing's hand when they sit in the van. Sometimes, he even stands at the side of their beds to recite a spell to ease their pain. It's not fair. It's not fair how the company are treating them. Everyone notices, and they try to help them lift their mood up. But maybe they didn't try hard enough, because Yifan leaves, then luhan, then Tao.

It’s not supposed to be this way. Luhan died protecting the king, protecting Chanyeol, during the war. He shouldn't be leaving. Yet again, maybe this is the lifetime Luhan gets to live a life without hardship. So, it’s reluctantly that they let them go. Kyungsoo wishes him the best, not only to him, but to the other two too.

 

—-

When Yifan leaves, everything turns for the worst. And sure, maybe there was a small time of peace, but it's way too short, and it's over before it’s even started. Luhan promised to stay, but as the days go by, Chanyeol notices how his eye bags deepen and deepen, and how the boy rarely smiles anymore. He stays until their first concert tour, an accomplishment for all of them, stays to share that experience and excitement, but leaves in the middle of it. It’s bittersweet, but Chanyeol understands that Luhan just wants to be happy and healthy, and if he couldn’t achieve that here, with them, who shared similar experiences of pain and hardship, so be it. He’ll miss him, everybody will, specially Minseok hyung and Lay hyung.

Then, not surprisingly, Tao leaves on their next concert tour. He lasts an album more, and, like Luhan, had promised to stay and honor the vows of loyalty they made once upon a time during their debut. However, after an injury and time for reflection, Tao too leaves in the search for a better life.

Yixing remains as the sole chinese member, and it’s with pain and grief that him, Jongdae and Yixing work on Promise to assure the fans, and themselves, that they’re going to be okay, that exo will remain as one.

 

Its sometime at the start of this messy period that Chanyeol gives him the sound wave ring.

“Here. I had if costume made to fit your finger” the taller had said, quickly and a little bit insecure, trembling as he slid it into Kyungsoo’s index finger "I also engraved the resonance of our voices. I hope you don’t mind”

He wanted to ask why, but he doesn’t, because happiness fills him up, and that was good, as happiness had been hard to find during those days.

Kyungsoo smiles “let me put yours on”

Chanyeol’s hesitant face melted away as soon as the words left his mouth, and it was with a laugh that he gave Kyungsoo his ring and offered his hand to the other. Kyungsoo slid the slightly wider ring onto Chanyeol’s finger, while also quickly casting a comforting spell for anytime the once and future king became anxious.

They can’t wear it all the time, but Kyungsoo always puts it on before sleep, and he knows that Chanyeol does too. That’s the only time they have privacy, after all.


End file.
